Cold-blooded Australian Central Bearded Dragons have been discovered to be the first lizards to change sex in the wild, when under the sun. Changes in sex within lizards has occurred before, but under controlled experiments.
The sex change occurs when lizards are subjected to heat temperatures at which eggs are incubated. Another factor that plays a role in the sex change is when embryos have two Z chromosomes, which makes them genetically male. These male embryos can develop as female at warm egg incubation temperatures.
Unlike species with X and Y chromosomes, reptiles have Z and W chromosomes; ZZ= male and ZW=female. The Australian Central Bearded Dragon’s sex is determined by both the chromosomes and the temperature at which eggs are incubated. Research shows us that when these sex-reversed females mate with normal males, their offspring does not have sex chromosomes and their sex is determined by temperature. Their offspring also has a higher chance to have a sex change under the sun. Oddly, sex-reversed mothers laid almost twice as many eggs as normal female lizards. According to a study, global warming may be the cause of transforming the biology of climate sensitive reptiles and is rising concern for other animals also.
The altering sex of lizards may be increasing worry in regard to global warming but you have to admit, that a lizards biological make up can change dependent on temperature is interesting. Have you ever wanted to be the opposite sex? What if you changed sex according to the climate change? Here are some reasons why you might want to switch sexes (at least for a day):
The Perks of Being a Guy
As a guy, I can tell you first-hand what the many benefits of being male are. One of those benefits is being able to urinate standing up. I know it sounds ridiculous but all of my girlfriends have told me what a blessing it is. The ability to just whip it out whenever it’s convenient is nice, I must admit. Another perk of being a guy is not feeling the urge to dress up or put on make-up. Wearing a pair a jeans and throwing on a t-shirt is the typical outfit of choice no matter what kind of day you have planned. Whether you are going to the bar, the park, or the mall, laid back and casual is the dress code. Don’t forget about the time consuming process of putting on make-up. If you had a sex change for a day, say good-bye to that wasted time.
The Perks of Being a Gal
Like I said, I’m a guy, so my opinion of what is considered a benefit of being a women is a little skewed. I wouldn’t want to enjoy the “pleasure” of giving birth or painful cramps during that time of the month, but the power of persuasion would be a nice skill to have. One thing I picked up on in college was that girls have a strange power over men. Old men, young men, and various other types of men have fallen victim to a woman’s enticement. I don’t know if they know that they can make guys do whatever they want but they can, most of the time. Another benefit of being a women, that I learned while in school, was getting free drinks at the bar. A guy would gladly buy a girl a drink, thinking he would get something in return, but in the end he wouldn’t. Depending how persuasive the girl was, she could end up getting free drinks all night. Having a sex change whenever you are headed to the bar sounds good to me.
Australian Central Bearded Dragons change sex under the sun, but would you want to? You’ve read the benefits of both and maybe you’ve found something you want to try out. For a day, would you make the switch?
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Sex Change in Lizards and Reasons Why You Might Want to Do the Same
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